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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #114781
Title: MANAGING BEMISIA ARGENTIFOLII USING MYCOTROL AND NATUYRALIS-L (BEAUVERIA BASSIANA) ON VEGETABLES, COTTON AND ORNAMENTALS IN SOUTHERN UNITED STATES

Author
item LIU, TX - TX A&M, WESLACO, TX
item STANSLY, PHIL - U OF FL, IMMOKALEE, FL
item SPARKS, A - TX A & M, WESLACI, TX
item KNOWLES, T - U OF A COOP EXT, PARKER
item CHU, CHANG CHI

Submitted to: Sweetpotato Whitefly Progress Review Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Two different strains of Beauveria bassiana formulated as Mycotrol and Naturalis-L, were tested against Bemisia argentifolii in AZ, CA, FL, and TX. Laboratory bioassays, greenhouse and field experiments were conducted on hibiscus, sweetpotato, cantaloupe, cucumber, tomato, eggplants and cotton. Mycotrol caused 76-94% mortality of nymphs under laboratory and greenhouse conditions, where relative humidity was maintained above 90%. In AZ, on subsurface drip irrigated cantaloupe that was under moderate to light whitefly pressure, Mycotrol provided significant control of whitefly with 68-79% population reduction, whereas Naturalis-L did not. After 3 applications at the labeled rate (1.12 kg/ha), Mycotrol had the cumulative effect of maintaining adult whitefly populations below the economic threshold of 3 per leaf for 28 d after the initial treatment. In CA, on cotton and in southwest FL on field tomato and eggplant, multiple applications of Mycotrol at weekly intervals did not reduce whitefly population compared with untreated control. Naturalis-L was effective against B. argentifolii under laboratory conditions, and provided fairly good control on cotton in southern TX, but did not give sufficient control on cucumber in south TX or on cantaloupe in AZ. It appears that applications of B. bassiana products, i.e. Mycotrol and Naturalis-L, could play a role in whitefly management, although their usefulness may be limited to high humidity conditions and complete spray coverage.